


It’s in the idea of the fall

by delightfuls



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22094008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delightfuls/pseuds/delightfuls
Summary: Ricky Bowen and Gina Porter through thick and thin.Or, one shots and AUs.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter
Comments: 5
Kudos: 69





	1. Baby, I know the truth

**Author's Note:**

> request: rina; enemies to lovers.

Their days are quite bland if you ask him.

She throws a basketball at his face and he bleeds a bit. Her hands go up to her mouth and her eyes convey horror, but she snaps out of it, and gives him a wicked smile, as she twirls her hair and heads out of the gym, probably running away before the coach sends her to the principal’s office.

He’s on the floor, holding a hand to his nose, which fucking hurts and is bleeding all over the wooden floor boards but he really can’t give a shit when he’s worried about her.

Nini and Big Red make their way to him, worried eyes and cautious hands. “Are you okay?” Nini asks as her hands slowly move to see the damage. He pushes himself away, “I’m okay Nini, don’t worry about it, geez mom!” He lets out, and she smiles at him worryingly.

Big Red looks at him and at the door from which Gina left; “Ricky I think it’s time we do something about you and Gina, you guys need to stop, she hurt you ..” 

His eyes go wide, no no. “Guys, I can handle myself, and even if she did hurt me, I deserve it, that’s the thing between me and her, no talking I don’t think we’ll ever be on speaking terms.” He says in his most convincing tone. 

But they don’t need much convincing everyone saw how things blew up between them. Ever since junior year they couldn’t stand each other, and  _ accidents _ seemed to happen every time one was near the other. Even now in senior year they were  _ somewhat _ still on each other’s nerves 

Or so everyone thought.

Both of his friends sigh. He smiles at them, before heading out of the gym. 

As soon as he’s out he lets go of his nose, despite the pain and tries to find where she went. 

He finds her sitting near his gym locker. He walks slowly towards her but she’s somewhere else thinking it seems. Walking slowly to sit beside her, he lets out “Miss this is the men’s locker room!” 

She jumps at his voice, and smiles a bit before looking back down to her hands. He sits down next to her, and nudges her with his shoulder. 

“What’s wrong, Gi?” He asks her slowly. She doesn’t look up, when she tells him she didn’t mean to hurt him. 

She’s scared that she could’ve hurt him seriously, purposely. It hurts and warms his heart a bit.

He shifts so that he’s facing her. “Gina, look at me.” When she doesn’t, he slowly takes her chin between his fingers and turns her gaze towards him. 

“I know you didn’t, I know you wouldn’t. Ever since that day in Junior Year where you pushed me against a wall and made my gums bleed, I remember your horrified look, I knew you did not intend on hurting me and that it was not what you wanted, it was an accident. Despite our history, I know you didn’t mean to.” He says 

She scoffs as a tear slide to onto his skin, “You remember that?” She asks. 

He brushes his thumb against her cheek, “Of course, I do! It’s not everyday that your mortal enemy comes back hard to a prank that made their hair purple for 2 days, by the way can I apologize for that again?” He says with a hint of nostalgia and longing in his voice. 

She laughs and playfully hits his shoulder before letting her hand and fingers lightly make their way toward his nose. 

His hand slides to the side of her face, and he pulls her towards him, their foreheads touching. “Don’t you think it’s time we let people know about us?” He asks in a whisper as her fingers continue to trace his cheeks lightly. 

“ _ Maybe _ .. Let’s get you cleaned up first.” She says giving him a small smile that makes his heart stop. She rises on her feet and takes his hand in hers. But he stops her and hugs her waist. 

“You’re so sappy, Bowen.” She lets out. 

“Only for you.” 

So yeah their days are quite bland apart from _pretending that you’re not dating the person that everyone thinks you hate beyond words._


	2. Flirting on the job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: “Hey cutie, are you single?“ "We’ve been dating for a year.”

Working at a bar sucked, Ricky thought as he cleaned the bar countertop for the 40th time within his 8 hour shift. Only one more hour he thought. Only one more.

He didn’t really have a choice honestly, between college, trying to move out, and trying to also do a little show biz with the original crew, he really needed the money. And he’d rather die than ask his father or his mother. He wants to be independent! He tries to be independent, _in other words_ , he's failing to be independent. 

But getting tips didn’t hurt, especially when girls who thought he wasn’t taken care to sit and flirt, he was flattered but no he has a loving amazingly talented girlfriend whom he loves very much. 

He sighs and turns to clean the beer and alcohol glasses, but is stopped when he hears footsteps, heels clicking and coming in his way. 

Well here we go, speak of the devil he thinks. He acts like he didn’t hear them sit down and continues cleaning the glasses.   
  


He hears a familiar voice clear their throat, “Hey cutie, are _you_ single.” The voice asks. 

He knows that voice, Gina Porter,

His girlfriend.   
  


He turns around and smiles. Putting his weight on his forearms, he pushes himself down to her height whilst she’s sitting. Her legs are crossed and barely covered, yeah .. He likes the dress. 

“Babe, I think you’ve got a concussion or something, we’ve been dating _for a year..”_ He lets out before reaching out to pat her on the head. 

“Oh come on Ricky! Play along!” She says while laughing. He grins at her, god she really is the prettiest girl ever. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you had dance practice until 9?” He asks her as he tries to keep his mind off her dress. 

“Oh well, finished earlier thought I’d you know drop by.” She says in an innocent voice. 

They look at each other, before she pulls him by the shirt and kisses him. 

She lets go of his shirt and smiles, that wicked smile of hers. 

“30 minutes left, Bowen, I’ll be waiting for you.” She tells him before she goes to sit down near some of her college buddies. 

  
He takes in a breath, before turning back to clean the glasses. _God can his shift hurry up and end?_


	3. We can’t just let this go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> request: /this could be a canon timeline or an au but the gist is they’re fighting and eventually one of them says “I’m better when I’m with you”/
> 
> Ricky is 18 and Gina is 17. And the story takes place in canon universe/timeline.

“You cannot be serious!” He yells in whispers as he closes the door to his room. 

She’s not even looking at him, her back faced to him and arms crossed and gaze plastered at his wall. He walks towards her, but she flinches away when he gets a feet away from her. Which is ironic considering how he isn’t even in the wrong with this one. 

He licks his mouth, because he doesn’t know how to deal with all of this now, years after it’s happened but somehow the gods love to test him. “Gina..” He says in a low but steady voice. 

“Why did you not tell me?” He asks her. She doesn’t turn, she doesn’t move, she just looks at his wall. 

He’s about to leave when he hears her, “Because we were kids, and it wasn’t serious-“ 

But it is, or it _was_. But he had to find out 3 years later, at a party he was throwing to celebrate the end of their high school days. He had to find out after he had blamed EJ for what happened and been upset with Nini for not receiving his voicemail. He had to find out that  _ she _ of all people had done this to Nini.

He stops her. “But it  _ was _ Gina!” He shouts without meaning to and prays the others didn’t hear him. 

* * *

The night was going nicely, and he couldn’t stop staring at her. _Sue him_ , she had been on his mind for the past 3 years but things were too complicated, between her maybe moving on and off, him adjusting to the ever changing world around him, his on and off relationship with Nini, and then Gina’s now ex-boyfriend..Yeah things were never easy for them, or for a confession. He was ready until EJ brought alcohol as a potluck dish. 

And then everything went to shit. Playing truth or dare while drinking, never smart. Despite how close EJ and Gina had grown through the years, from them faking their smiles to actually bonding and practically becoming brother and sister, EJ still unfortunately spilled more than he anticipated. 

It was Gina’s turn but she refused to drink, so EJ asked her truth or dare. She surprisingly picked truth. Ricky didn’t know what he was expecting but he was not expecting EJ to let out his next sentence, “Tell me who actually stole Nini’s phone that day?” He let out a laugh, while Nini and Gina both froze. 

Everyone suddenly stopped laughing and smiling. He saw the moment EJ realized what he had just done. Before anyone could get a word or a look out Gina ran upstairs. 

EJ and Nini both got up quickly to follow her before he stopped them. 

The duo looked at him, before EJ told him; “Man, don’t make it deeper than it is..We’ve put it in the past..” 

Ricky ignored them and ran up. And that’s how they were in their current situation 

* * *

“You made me look like a fool..? All the while also becoming my friend? One of my best friends to this day...What was I? Some  _ sick _ excuse of a friend or,  _ or _ an obstacle?” He asks the back of her head. His throat hurts and he’s crying he thinks. He can’t say for sure. But he can feel tears at the corner of his eye.

He’s ready to say more but she suddenly turns around and gets in his space. And she’s crying. He hates that he’s the reason why. 

She doesn’t say anything for a while. Her breath dans against his face, and their noses almost brush. It’s like all those years of struggling and avoiding  _ them _ as led their two beings to this single confrontation, this confession. 

“Gina..” He lets out, not knowing what to do, but knowing that she has to say something, she has to defend herself, say that no it wasn’t her- 

She looks up at him in that moment, eyes full of regret and his heart shatters. “I did take her phone, yes.” She lets out. 

His mouth opens in disbelief, as she pushes herself away from his proximity. She plasters herself to his wall. 

“I took it because I was too caught up in getting Gabriella’s role, it was never, and I mean never supposed to be personal.” She adds playing with her fingers.

A sign of nervousness he had learned that she had. 

“And you were not and are not an obstacle Ricky...You are my best friend, the person who taught me how to open up...The only person I ever felt close to in  _ all _ the schools and  _ all _ the places I’ve been.” She says. 

“We were _merely_ kids… I didn’t mean for it to escalate or end the way it did, I stopped it the minute you came into my life. I swear, Ricky.” She finally adds.

He can’t look at her in the face. He can, but he won’t; he won’t. 

She stops playing with her hands and walks slowly past him, his fingers ache to reach out but he won’t,  _ he can’t.  _

He hears her open the door, but stop. “For the record, Ricky, I think you’re such a kind and good person, you make everyone around you smile, and I- You deserve-“

His eyes close because she  _ cannot be fucking _ serious. She is not about to leave him, not  _ again _ . 

His body practically speeds towards her. He’s back in her space, and she in his. 

“ _ Don’t _ finish that sentence.” He tells her. She looks up at him, her eyes full of fear and hope and something he doesn’t quite know yet. Her hand reaches back towards the doorknob.

“Please.” He adds. She pushes the door closed and leans against the door. He moves closer and their noses brush actually this time. 

Her breath stutters, as does his. The next words he tells her are words that he has tried and failed to tell her for the past few years, but now suddenly he can; “I’m better when I’m with  _ you _ .” 

She stops breathing he thinks, because he could no longer feel her breathing against his chest. 

And that realization pushes him to make another realization; their bodies are  _ so _ close to one another. He hopes she can’t feel or hear how hard his heart is pounding against his ribcage

Her fingers rise to his lips. And she traces them slowly. 

“I’m sorry.” She says. He knows she is, and he knows he couldn’t let her leave him again, not when they’ve come so far, learned from their pasts and mistakes. 

So he kisses her. 

And she kisses him back, clutching him tightly, as he practically lifts her off the ground.

* * *

Maybe EJ finally did something good with his life he thinks as Gina kisses him deeply and he winds his fingers in her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is bad and rushed but have angst!


	4. You’re the one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Gina thinks she will never be what Nini was to Ricky.

She doesn’t know how they ended up here but they did. She’s in her dorm room, back against the door, sobbing into her sleeves.

Actually scratch that she knows. 

They were calmly studying for midterms when she saw him skimming through Nini’s Instagram feed. She didn’t say anything just watched as a smile tugged his lips. 

She felt a sting in her heart, a sting that didn’t feel like much but still jarred her soul. Something in her heart had deflated.

After 2 minutes he closes his phone and brings his attention back to her, but she’s not listening. He’s going on and on about how he came to the library to help her study for her organic chemistry test, but the sound coming out of his mouth seems non-existent. 

_Would he leave her?_

_For Nini?_

She thought about it occasionally, as much as she hates to admit it.

_He wouldn’t_ , her mind tells her.

But also, Gina you’re a ticking time bomb you’ve never had anyone stay or stayed for anyone? Who says this is any different?

Suddenly a hand comes into her view, Ricky’s hand. 

“Earth to Genevieve!” He laughs.

She can’t help herself, the words slip out of her mouth. 

“Would you ever leave me for Nini?” 

And the atmosphere suddenly gets very thick, silent and she can’t breathe. 

He hesitates and looks down for a moment and that’s all she needs. 

“Classic Bowen!” She tells him before she storms off. She can hear him screaming her name but she’s already too embarrassed to turn back. 

So this is how she finds herself against her dorm door, crying her eyes out.

She feels like she can’t breathe and she hates it. Because she brought this on herself. She shouldn’t have asked, she shouldn’t have made him choose or even compare. Not when Nini and her are important to him in so many different ways. 

She’s lost in her thoughts when she hears a knock to her door. A soft knock, and a whisper of his voice.  _ Ginny _ .

She rises to her toes and wipes her under eyes quickly.

She opens the door to him. She knows she probably looks like a mess, her eyes puffy, tears stained in her black mascara dripping down her face to her chin, but he looks at her like she’s the most beautiful person ever. 

She drops her gaze from his and moves into the room turning her back to him. She hears him slowly close the door but not make any move towards her. 

But then she turns around and he sighs in relief. But she doesn’t look at him. “Look, I know we’re all friends now, but I shouldn’t have asked that…” She looks at him then tentatively. He opens his mouth but she interrupts him. 

“You don’t not owe me anything Ricky. I wasn’t there from the start, Nini was, Nini, Red.. And I get it, she— I will never be there with them, and that’s okay I was overreacting.”

She hesitates before she continues. “If you were to ever leave me for Nini, I wouldn’t mind because I know she made you happy and still does, she would be good to you.” 

“And it’s okay if you leave I’ve accepted it, that it’s possible because either I leave or people around me do, and that’s okay.” 

Because it’s true. She hates to admit it, but it’s always been in her mind. The idea of him leaving her or her leaving him, or them breaking up. But Nini is good for him right? They’re best friends. Yeah. She wishes him nothing but happiness and if she makes him happy then Gina is happy. 

He doesn’t say anything as she lets the words out. 

Then out of nowhere he kisses her and it’s almost brutal like he wants to consume her, to prove to her, that he’s real, she’s real and that he’s never going to be anywhere but with her. 

She lets out a sob as they pull apart and his forehead rests on hers.

His breath fans across her face as he holds her face in his hands. “Genevieve Porter...I. Love. You. I love you in a way I haven’t loved anyone else. You’re a part of my soul, despite what you think. You are important and not only to me but to everyone that knows you. And I will never leave you.”

And she lets out a tear filled laugh. He laughs back. She jumps into his arms and he turns her around in his arms, lifting her off the ground like he did so many years ago when they were still essentially children. 

And this is exactly what it feels like to be home.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and terribly written because I lost the motivation to make it plotty I’m so sorry <3

**Author's Note:**

> Based on prompts and requests gotten on tumblr @lindaspark


End file.
